Behind Thine Eyes
by Shibby-One
Summary: Behind his eyes… He sees a world unnoticed and forgotten to all but himself. [one-shot][thank-you fic]


**Hmm… this is partially based off a friends poem, also partially based around the fact I finally hit 50 faves lists… (:D) And the fact that the YGO cast have… really incredibly-drawn eyes. o-o**

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**Behind Thine Eyes**

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"Alright, then," Miss Kokoronokinsen called, leaning down on her desk, "I guess the day is over… On Monday, we'll go over the book. Okay?" This was met with half-hearted nods and groans of pain and fatigue. It was Saturday; tomorrow they had off.

Thank God.

_I never thought Saturday would come,_ he thought, dropping his books into his bag. Yugi closed the clasp on his bag and slumped down in his seat. Being a senior wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Jonouchi came from behind him, smiling and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, wanna do something later?" he asked, yawning. Yugi shrugged.

"I guess so. Maybe. I don't know. I'm kinda tired…" Yugi answered, his eyelids drooping. Jonouchi grew concerned.

"You sure? You seem awfully tired often," he commented. Yugi stood.

"I'm sure, Jonouchi. It's no big deal…" he yawned. Jonouchi smiled.

"Go home and sleep. Okay?"

"Okay." Yugi stretched his shoulders and pulled his bag up his shoulder. He headed out the door, pausing at the door for a moment, then continuing on. Jonouchi watched him leave with a concerned face.

"You think it's happening again?" Anzu asked in a small voice as she came up behind him. Jonouchi said nothing.

"I… don't think so. That doesn't make any sense, Anzu," he said, turning to her. Anzu shrugged. "I mean… it's already been so long…"

"It doesn't matter," Anzu commented, her eyes widening. "It's a part of him that'll never die."

"He seems so… distant," Jonouchi said softly. "I wish… he wouldn't be…"

"It's almost like…" Anzu said softly. "It's almost like he's trying to free himself."

"What?!" Jonouchi stared at Anzu. Anzu shook her head.

"I know it sounds strange, but to me, Yugi doesn't seem to want to live the life he has."

"Well, what life does he want to live? He's only got one," Jonouchi explained. He sighed. "He's so… closed up about things now. How do we know he isn't dying or something? I have no idea!"

"His eyes," Anzu said, looking up at Jonouchi. "Look at his eyes. Like – Like he said. Eyes… never lie."

Yugi wasn't so sure of this fact. As he flopped onto his bed, he closed those eyes tried to drift off. But he couldn't. It wasn't working.

It was that time again. The time of the year when, at night, as he lay trying to fall asleep, in his mind, he sees it.

It's not something that scares him. It's something happy, exciting, amazing, and incredible. It's… calming, in a sense, that this has all happened and it's all behind them now. But it was also full of pain and confusion. Why… Why did they have to put every_one_ behind them, exactly? Why was it so necessary that every_one_ and every_thing_ be put into it's place, behind, forgotten?

There were some things he wished he could see…

Yugi rolled onto his back and stared through the slanted panes of glass above him. Those highlights beckoned to him. They said 'come with us. Go out there. Maybe, if you look hard enough, you can see it.'

Yugi didn't know what he was thinking. He stood, his eyes widening, glowing, glittering with excitement and life. Something he felt that was more precious then anything, was not his own life, but the life of others. And, as he figured, he could place his own life on hold just to see if he could reach it…

He pushed open the pane of glass gently, and then remembered it only pushed out a few centimeters. Then a piece of wire stopped it from going wider.

Undefeated, Yugi continued to push on the pane. He wasn't sure why he was so sure he could leave his room this way; he didn't know what mysterious force was driving him; just the need, the need to see him… and it… one more time…

Suddenly, the glass gave way. Yugi hopped onto his desk, and then started crawling out the window.

_Thwump__._ A loud sound had been made behind him. He turned around, thinking someone was at his door. But no. No one was there. He turned back and continued crawling out the window.

He was on the roof. It was slanted, but Yugi held on to the tiles that made up the roof. He felt light as air, anyway. He felt that, even if he jumped from this height, he would just float down until his feet touched the ground.

He became excited. Climbing carefully down the roof, he landed on the ground and looked around. The outside world, the dusk, it had told him to come outside. Something was out here that he wanted – no, _needed_ – to see.

"Hell…hello?" he called. He walked forwards, onto the street, looking for someone. No one was in sight. How could that be?

"Hello!" Yugi called. He could feel something… it was very strong. It was a presence, almost. Someone _was_ there… He knew it…

"HELLO!!!" Yugi shouted. "Please, answer mee! I want to know what's going on!!"

"Stop shouting, Aibou," a voice called. Yugi froze. The voice came from behind him, at the water's edge. Yugi didn't dare turn around, but at the same time, he wanted to.

"It's okay, I'm right here," the voice said again, softer this time. Yugi turned slowly, breathing heavily.

Standing behind him, at the rail near the water, was someone he'd wanted to see for nearly two years. He smiled, sitting on the edge of the rail.

"Mou… mou hitori no boku!" Yugi shouted, taking off towards the rail. Atemu laughed as he slid off the rail in order to catch his partner in his grasp.

"M-mou hitori no b-boku," Yugi whispered, burying his face in his other's chest. Tears slid down his face, he was so happy to see his friend again… Atemu pushed Yugi's shoulders back gently to face him. "Mou hitori—I mean, Atemu—What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he said softly. Yugi blinked.

"W-what? That makes no sense," Yugi said. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I came here because of something you needed," he said. He smiled. "Aibou, you needed something greatly. You needed to be calmed, to be sure that I was alright. That's why you are so sickly now. That's why you can't explain it. You were so worried about me. I'm fine now," he said, but his smile had faded.

"Atemu? What is it?" Yugi asked. Atemu placed one hand on Yugi's cheek, seeing the paleness of it, seeing how little color Yugi's face held…

"Aibou, please listen," he said. "Because you miss me so much, and miss the way things used to be, your mind has been playing tricks on you. You've become so sick from it… Please, go back. You have to." Yugi closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't. I have to stay out here, first."

"Aibou? Why?"

"Because," Yugi explained, "when I stay out here, it feels comforting. Like something I was missing is complete." Atemu gave a small, sad smile and nodded.

"I… I understand, Aibou. You may stay." Atemu sighed and took his hand off of Yugi's shoulder. "I… I hope that whatever comforts you here continues to." Yugi nodded. Atemu hugged him once more, although this time when they parted, the one who was crying wasn't Yugi.

Yugi ran off to where Atemu had been standing and looked over the ocean. He wasn't sure why he felt so calm here; he struggled to remember some random fact he had learned last year about Egypt and the ocean's value, [1] but he forgot. Maybe that was why he was like this…

He didn't feel sick anymore. His eyes were completely alive and full of light. If he could just stay here, forever, and watch his friends from this point… And he could… the high school was just down the road…

**.**

**.**

The next morning dawned bleak and rainy. It fit the mood perfectly around the school and around the Game Shop.

Jonouchi was standing against the rail, staring up at the sky. It was said that the barrier between this world and the next is thinnest on the edge of an ocean, and he hoped it was true. Maybe he could feel something, some reassurance that everything would be alright.

Yugi had been found, dead, in his bedroom yesterday afternoon.

Jonouchi sighed. He stared again at the sky, trying to see if maybe, since the barrier was so thin, he could see something…

He didn't realize the person he was looking for was right beside him.

"Jonouchi!" Anzu called, running towards him. She was all dressed for school, her bag even over her shoulder. But she was already very late for school, as was Jonouchi. Neither of them said anything, Anzu looking towards the ground, Jonouchi towards the sky.

"…I shoulda followed him," Jonouchi said finally. "I would have been there when – when he collapsed…" Anzu looked up at him and closed her eyes.

"It's… it's not your fault, Jonouchi," she said softly. Tears were cascading down her face, but she smiled, staring at the sky. "Y'know… Yugi was unhappy with the way things were."

"He was?"

"He wished that everything could be like it was when he still had the Puzzle. Those were amazing times, Jonouchi, you and I both know that. But Yugi… wants to live in a fairy tale. I guess that was part of his death…" Jonouchi sighed.

"The barrier between here and the afterlife is very thin, Jonouchi," Anzu explained softly. Jonouchi gave a half-smile.

"I know. And whenever I stand here…"

"I can feel it, too," Anzu explained. "It's like… nothing ever changed."

"Yeah. Like we've gone back in time…"

"… I think Yugi loved that feeling too much…" Anzu said, her voice beginning to break. Jonouchi closed his eyes.

"Enough to leave us? Why?"

"Oh, I don't know… D-did you hear what was strange about him when they found him?"

"No…"

"His eyes were open… And-"

"What's so strange about that?" Jonouchi asked. "A lot of people… d-die… with their eyes open…"

"I wasn't _done_ yet," Anzu said, frowning. "…When they looked at them, it was almost like they were glowing, and very much alive."

"…Maybe, now that he's… wherever," Jonouchi said, waving his arms around, "he's more alive then when he was here."

"I hope he's happy," Anzu breathed. "Maybe he's living in his own memory world."

"Maybe he is… You know what they say, Anzu. 'Behind thine eyes hold thy truth'."

"I know…" she sighed, as the clouds overhead opened, and rain fell upon them that one, bitterly warm day.

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Hmmmm. This fic changed as I was writing it. oO Whatever. I like it. :D

It doesn't make much sense… but… Y'know what? I like it. xD Er… just a little thing I whipped up. Just a little thank-you for being on **50** faves lists and **63** Author Alert watches. :D That makes me happy.

Welllll… got anything to say? REVIEW :O

**Shibby-One**


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